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AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHH!
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I've
come to believe that the hardest part of housebreaking a dog (or
"housetraining" as I prefer to call it, since I'd rather
leave the dog unbroken by the whole experience) is in the perception.
And I don't mean the dog's perception - I mean the owner's! When
I talk to owners who are struggling to housetrain their dogs, they
tell me they're trying to teach their dog NOT TO GO IN THE HOUSE.
In reality, you need to teach your dog TO GO OUTSIDE. I've found
that flipping this perspective puts you ahead of the game and a
lot closer to success. Read on for a step-by-step plan to bring
you the rest of the way.
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There are two main components to a successful housetraining program: manage your dog's access to your home until he has learned to go outside and teach your dog to go to the bathroom outside. So, Step One: You must manage your dog's movements in your home so that he has no accidents. Let's say that one more time: you must manage your dog's movements in your home so that he has no accidents. Okay, all together now, for good measure: You must manage your dog's movements in your home so that he has no accidents. Why is this so important? Well, think about how you feel when you have to go to the bathroom. A little uncomfortable, right? And, if you have to go very badly, you feel very uncomfortable, right? So, when you finally find that bathroom and get to go, you feel pretty darn good, right? That relief is a reward. Now, transfer that to your dog. Every time your dog relieves himself in the house, he is instantly rewarded with a feeling of relief. It's like a nice little pat on the back for him saying "good for you, you took care of that discomfort." |
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| "You
must manage your dog's movements in your home so that he has no accidents." |
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So, to avoid the reward your dog will feel every time he has an accident in the house, you need to control his movements in the house. There are a number of ways you can control your dog's movements. You can take the time to properly crate train him in a proper-sized crate and put him in the crate with a good chew toy when you are not actively watching him. Alternatively, you can use a baby gate or exercise pen to block him into a small area like a bathroom or to block him into whatever room you are in at the time. Lastly, you can tie your dog's leash to your waist or belt loop so that he will be with you at all times. With the crate, you are using the size of the crate to inhibit his urge to go to the bathroom. Dogs do not like to eliminate in the same space that they sleep, eat, and "live" in. Because of this, a properly sized crate will inhibit the urge to go to the bathroom when you are not home or cannot supervise him. If you are home or able to supervise him, you should use the baby gate or the leash tied to your waist to keep him near you so that you can watch for signs that he needs to eliminate (watch for sniffing or circling to tip you off that he needs to go). If you catch your dog about to go or in the act of going, scoop him up and take him outside to his Potty Area. Do not punish him, yell, put his nose in the urine, or anything else. He will likely only learn that it is dangerous to go to the bathroom in front of you rather than learning that he shouldn't go in the house. Then you'll have the problem of him sneaking off behind furniture or into an empty room to go. And, he won't want to go in front of you when you're outside either, making training that much harder. So, instead, REWARD, REWARD, REWARD for going outside! Now, Step Two: You must teach your dog to go outside. You'll need to put your pup on a schedule and reward him when he goes outside. Dogs tend to have to go to the bathroom in the morning, before bedtime, after taking a nap or playing, after eating, and every 3-4 hours in between. Your pottying schedule for your dog might look like this:
Depending on your dog's age, he may have to go more or less frequently. Remember, a puppy does not begin to have the muscle control to hold his bladder and bowels until he is approximately 12 weeks old. And even after 12 weeks, he will have to go out more frequently than a 6 month old puppy to prevent accidents in the house. Take the above schedule as a model and adjust it according to your dog's age. Each potty break should look like this: Go to his designated Potty Area (a section of the yard that will be used for pottying) and wait - don't play or take a walk - just keep him in the Potty Area. Reward
him with treats, praise, a game of ball, a walk, etc.
after he goes. Lots of praise and treats - don't be stingy
here! You can use a mixture of his kibble, small (1/4
inch) bits of chicken or cheese, a lick of peanut butter
or canned dog food off of a spoon, or store bought treats.
Vary it so he is always surprised by what he gets after
pottying. And, remember to bring the treat outside with
you so you can give it to him immediately after he goes
to the bathroom. If you wait to give him a treat after
he comes inside, he may think you are rewarding him for
coming in the house so nicely!
If
he doesn't go during a scheduled potty break or is just
trying to play instead of pottying, he needs to go back
inside and be WITH YOU OR IN HIS CRATE for 10-15 minutes.
Then try again. Repeat until he is successful. After
a successful potty break, he can be in his exercise
pen, crate, or with you until his next scheduled potty
break. He should not have free roam of the house! Part 2: Troubleshooting your pottying plan, on page 2 |
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Page 1 
Does our next pet of the month live in your home? 
From author 